Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand Aug / Sept 2017: The Kids & Family Issue | Page 46

AN ANCIENT CITY KEPT ALIVE
“Mom,” Isabel says as we pull up to Dhara Dhevi, “this isn’t
a hotel!”
“Of course it is, silly. We are staying here,” I reply. “See,
that’s the reception area over there.”
“But, Mom. This is a castle.”
I smile. She isn’t exactly wrong. Dhara Dhevi isn’t any
ordinary hotel.
With its palatial buildings, wooden rice barns and man-
sions reminiscent of centuries past, Dhara Dhevi was de-
signed to evoke the Lanna Kingdom. A majestic gate and
large white wall encircle the property, in the same way
that ancient citadels — including Chiang Mai — forti-
fied their cores. Paddy fields, lakes and Lanna-inspired
46 WANDERLUST
houses adorn the grounds, following in the tradition of an
authentic Thai palace. And the name? It means “city of a
beautiful woman,” which is symbolized by accents resem-
bling Lanna-style hair pins, found perched upon the roof-
tops’ golden spires.
Unlike today’s glass and steel hotels that scrape the
sky, Dhara Dhevi’s unique ancient city theme keeps the
past alive and reminds us of northern Thailand’s rich his-
tory. Nevertheless, no modern comforts are sacrificed at
this “living museum.” The luxury that tempts me first is a
massage at the ornate and breathtaking Dheva Spa and
Wellness Center.
ROSE PETALS AND EPIPHANIES
I am happy to melt under a masseuse’s expert hands
while my husband takes the girls swimming. First, though,
there’s a consultation with the Dheva Spa
director, who gently asks a series of
questions about my lifestyle. I an-
swer while sipping a cool, rose-
hip tea — her concoction, she
tells me.
My shoulders are likely
to be knotted from hours
at my laptop, but my as-
sessor is not so certain.
She asks me to stand up
to examine my posture.
Then she approaches,
apologizes for needing
to touch me, and takes
my ears in her hands. She
firmly massages the carti-
lage, something she says will
help her determine which mus-
cle groups most require therapy.
After a few moments of ear kneading,
she identifies my middle back as the peak source of
tension. (She also shares a beauty secret: Daily ear mas-
sage is what keeps her looking so young.)
In the United States, where I am from, Swedish or aro-
matherapy massage are the two main options, and treat-
ments are practical and straightforward. Here in Asia, es-
pecially at high-end hotels such as Dhara Dhevi, there are
usually a wealth of options and the spa staff know how
to set a tranquil scene. Out of a menu of many tempting
therapies, the spa director selects an Ayurvedic massage
for me.
Keffir lime and rose petals dance in a golden dish for
the ritualistic foot bath preceding the therapy. My mas-
seuse trickles warm water over my toes. Somehow, even
the walls and floors of the spa exude a sense of calm,
and I feel my mind giving way to intoxicating relaxation.
I slip into a bathrobe and lie down on the table for a mas-
sage that alternates pressure of oiled hands with that of a
warm, herb-and-rice compress.
My body feels as though it might liquefy. The deep re-
laxation opens my mind to a rush of creative ideas. I feel
some kind of epiphany within my grasp, on the tip of my
tongue, at the outer edges of a synapse about to happen.
Is this theta state? A small bell sounds to signal the end of
a two-hour treatment much too soon. I would stay all day
if I could. But my family needs me.
WWW.WANDERLUSTMAG.COM
shaped like Isabel’s purse. Sure enough, someone whisks
Isabel’s bag away for inspection.
“Do you have scissors here?” asks the airport staffer.
Isabel reaches inside the bag and finds her pencil case.
She unzips it and withdraws what appears to be a fat
marker but is, in fact, a collapsible pair of blunted scissors
in a plastic tube. We are told to dispose of this hazardous
item — a request that sends tears of defeat down Isabel’s
freckled cheeks.
Some of the childlike wonder I’d been harnessing is fiz-
zling out. Chloe asks again, now with a hint of irritation,
when we will finally board the plane. I pinch the bridge of
my nose. This surely won’t be the last hiccup during our va-
cation. It